Senior police officer fined over 55 illicit cigarettes
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago4 MIN
Summary
A 52-year-old senior police officer, Lee Chung-fai (李仲輝), was fined HK$4,000 after pleading guilty to two offences linked to 55 duty-unpaid cigarettes found at Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point. The case was mentioned again and concluded at Fanling Magistrates’ Courts on Friday, where Acting Principal Magistrate Vincent Wan Siu-ming convicted and sentenced him on his pleas. The two charges were possession of dutiable goods and failing to declare dutiable goods to Customs officers. Both charges arose from the same incident in the Customs arrival hall search room in Area A of the control point on December 20 last year.
Key Points
- The defendant was identified as Lee Chung-fai, 52, who reported his occupation to the court as a senior police officer.
- He admitted possessing 55 duty-unpaid cigarettes without authority under section 17(6)(a) or (b) of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance.
- He also admitted failing to declare dutiable goods exceeding the quantity published by the Commissioner of Customs in the Gazette.
- The offences were said to have taken place in the Customs arrival hall search room, Area A, at Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point.
- The case number was FLCC 1428/2026, and the court imposed a total fine of HK$4,000 for the two offences
Why It Matters
The case draws attention to enforcement of Hong Kong’s duty rules at boundary checkpoints, including against public officers entering the city. It also underlines that even relatively small quantities above the permitted threshold can lead to criminal charges, a guilty plea and a court-imposed penalty.